Jingdezhen Residency Artist – Naoki Koide

I first met Japanese ceramic artist Naoki Koide here in Jingdezhen, at an artist sharing session in Taoxichuan Jingdezhen China. When he introduced himself, he said, “I was born in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, in 1968. I graduated from Tokyo Zokei University in 1992.” He even pointed out Aichi on a map. The audience laughed kindly—it was such a modest, slightly shy way to start.

From that moment, he gave me the impression of someone very down-to-earth.
If you were a child, you’d feel he must be a good father. If you were a parent, you’d think—this is a good son.

His talk that day was titled “Relics of Memory and Prayer.” Before I listened, I didn’t really understand why he wanted to use memory as a theme. But after hearing him, I realized his childhood, his family, and those everyday memories had left deep marks on him. They weren’t painful or heavy memories. Instead, they were warm and happy ones—memories he transforms into sculptures with humor, softness, and even a child-like touch.

When you look at his works, you don’t just see sculptures. You see scenes—almost like stage sets. The round shapes and soft colors remind you of childhood TV shows, full of nostalgia and fantasy. He is less like a sculptor working alone, more like a stage director—letting his works interact, telling stories together.

He once said that during his university years, he often felt restricted. The courses taught him form, methods, and theory. But he wanted more freedom. For him, art should always be asking questions, answering back, criticizing, moving forward, evolving. So he explored many materials—fiberglass, plastic, ceramics, wood, even plants. He was always searching for his own way.

One of his exhibitions in 2018 made a strong impression on me. It was called “Fifteen Kings Queens and Me.” It sounded like a niche theme, not something that would attract crowds.
But the surprising part was that many works were created together with children who had disabilities.

Their imagination was unpredictable, their expressions beyond “normal” values. By showing their works alongside his own, Koide gave these children a chance to express themselves and to feel their value. Clearly, this was not about money—it was about care, and about art as a human connection.

Then, in 2023, he had another solo show at Tomio Koyama Gallery in Tokyo. The title shocked me: “Aloniconian – Ruins of a Kingdom That Never Existed.”

What does that mean? He explained it as the destruction of a kingdom that never was. I thought maybe “aloniconian” mixed the idea of being alone and being strict—loneliness and harshness.
Through this invented kingdom, through ruins that never existed, was he expressing lost family? Or broken dreams? He didn’t say directly. But when I looked at his works—cute, almost cartoon-like—I felt more warmth than pain. In his stories, he mentioned how even temples had commissioned his sculptures, such as guardian dogs. And it made sense to me—his works feel right in ancient, quiet places filled with mystery.

From 2024 onward, Koide has been expanding into more international residencies. He worked in Korea, where he even set up a small booth using local clay. He came to China too—Jingdezhen and Longquan—where local soil and stone gave him new inspiration. For him, using local materials is not just practical—it is like having a dialogue with the place itself.

At the end of his talk, he said again that memories of his family keep him going. And he hopes his gentle, quiet works can show people another way of seeing the world.

What struck me most after listening was his honesty, his simplicity, his nostalgia for family.
Even in his fifties, he still keeps that child-like innocence. That touched me deeply.

And it also made me decide: from now on, I will not use AI voices for telling stories like his. So, in this video, you’re hearing my real voice. My English may not be perfect, but it’s my own.
And just like Koide uses his memories, I want to use my voice to share the life stories of artists.

I hope this story brings you some surprise, and maybe even some discovery.